BMP - Tree Inventories - 27

* Lightning protection. Large trees located in open, exposed areas-
especially near water-have the greatest risk of lightning strikes.
Lightning protection systems might be indicated for some highvalue trees. Installation recommendations should follow national
standards (in the United States, ANSI A300-Part 4: Lightning
Protection Systems) or ISA's Best Management Practice: Lightning
Protection Systems.
* Pests. Significant and enduring pests are sometimes tracked during
an inventory. Records are often limited to primary lethal agents (such
as the pathogen that causes sudden oak death) or ones that cause
structural failure (such as emerald ash borer). Pest identification may
assist with scheduling pest control treatments.

Plant Health Care

For urban forests that are managed with sufficient resources, it can be
worthwhile to record required treatments for plant health care. Examples of
attributes under this heading include:
* Irrigation. Temporary or permanent watering of at-risk individual
trees (e.g., ones recently planted) could be indicated if clear criteria
exist for how much and how long to water.
* Mulch. It can be important in some management contexts to know
which trees need mulching.
* Fertilization. Where applicable, trees that will benefit from a
fertilization regimen can be identified (based on the national tree
fertilization standards; in the United States, ANSI A300-Part 2:
Soil Management, or ISA's Best Management Practices: Tree and
Shrub Fertilization).
* Disease or insect treatments. When an established threshold for
action is reached, identify the trees needing treatments so work can
be prioritized and scheduled.

Images

A photo of the tree may be desired during an inventory. If images are to be
included, rigorous criteria for image quality, dating, the tree-photo reference
system, and storage method should be specified. For some purposes, two
images taken 90 degrees apart may be preferable.

BMP - Tree Inventories

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BMP - Tree Inventories